In the conventional disc player, designed and constructed as an auto-changer, a mechanical chassis carrying essential components of the disc player apparatus, such as a spindle motor or an optical pickup, is selectively moved as moved components in one direction, such as downwards, or in the other direction, such as upwards, by a movement device. The mechanical chassis is moved between positions associated with plural recording discs loaded in a stacked fashion within the disc player apparatus and selectively loaded with a recording disc for writing and/or reading information signals on or from the disc.
The movement device may be a lift stage loaded with personnel, vehicles or luggage in general, or a device for lifting a pallet as a moved article, or a so-called elevator or lift.
Such movement device is designed to move the moved article from on extreme position to the other extreme position and to be halted at at least one position between these extreme positions. That is, with the above-mentioned movement device for moving the mechanical chassis of the disc player apparatus, the mechanical chassis is halted at a plurality of positions each facing a recording disc. With the movement device designed as the lift, the lift stage or the pallet is halted at plural positions corresponding to the floor surfaces of the respective stories.
A variety of different types of the movement devices, including those having a horizontally movable plate cam 101, as shown in FIGS. 99 to 103, have hitherto been proposed. The upper edge of the plate cam 101 is designed as an inclined portion generally inclined in one direction having intermediate first to fifth horizontally extending sections 101a, 101b, 101c, 101d and 101e. On the upper edge of the plate cam 101 is set a profiling pin 102 mounted on a moved article. The profiling pin 102 is guided by a vertically extending guide groove 103 so as to be movable only in the vertical direction. The plate cam 101 is movable on the first horizontal section 101a by movement means, not shown, in a horizontal direction perpendicular to the guide groove 103 between a position in which the first horizontal section 101a is in registration with the guide groove 103, as shown in FIG. 10, and a position in which the fifth horizontal section 101e is in registration with the guide groove 103, as shown in FIG. 99.
When the first horizontal section 101a is in registration with the guide groove 103, the profiling pin 102 is set on the first horizontal section 101a and is at a standstill at the lower most position. When set on the second, third or fourth horizontal sections 101b, 101c or 101d, the profiling pin 102 is moved to progressively high positions. By the plate cam 101 being halted at a pre-set position, the profiling pin 102 is set on the upper edge of one of the second to fourth horizontal sections 101b, 101c and 101d and halted thereat. When the fifth horizontal section 101e is at a position registering with the guide groove 103, the profiling pin 102 is set on the fifth horizontal section 101e and hence is halted at the upper most position.
If, with the above-described movement device having the plate cam 101, the profiling pin 102 is to be halted on one of the horizontal sections 101a to 101e, the profiling pin 102 can be halted at a precisely set height, without regard to accuracy in the plate cam halting position, since the upper edges of the horizontal sections 101a to 101e are horizontal, that is parallel to the direction of movement of the plate cam 101.
There is also known a movement device employing a disc-shaped rotary plate cam 104 rotated about a center shaft 105, as shown in FIGS. 104 to 108. The rotary plate cam 104 has an inclined cam surface 104a extending towards its rim. The outer edge portion of the inclined cam surface 104a is generally spirally-shaped and has a plurality of intermediate concentric portions. These concentric portions are in the form of arcs of circles centered about the center shaft 105. On the outer edge of the inclined cam surface 104a is set a profiling pin 102 mounted on the moved article. The profiling pin 102 is movable only in the up-and-down direction by being guided by a guide groove extending in the up-and-down direction with the center shaft 105 as the lower most end. The rotary plate cam 104 is rotated by movement means, not shown, between a rotational position shown in FIG. 108 in which the portion of the inclined cam surface 104a closest to the center shaft 105 is in registration with the guide groove and a rotational position shown in FIG. 104 in which the portion of the inclined cam surface 104a remotest from the center shaft 105 is in registration with the guide groove.
When the rotary plate cam 104 is at the rotational position shown in FIG. 108 in which the portion of the inclined cam surface 104a closest to the center shaft 105 is in registration with the guide groove, the profiling pin 102 is set on the concentric circle and is halted at the lower most position. The profiling pin 102 is moved to progressively higher positions by the rotation of the rotary plate cam 104. When the rotary plate cam 104 is at such a rotational position in which the portion of the inclined cam surface 104a remotest from the center shaft 105 is in registration with the guide groove, as shown in FIG. 104, the profiling pin 102 is halted at the upper most position.
For halting the profiling pin 102 at the respective concentric circles in the movement device having the rotary plate cam 104, since the upper edges of the concentric circles are in the from of arcs of circles centered about the center shaft 105, the profiling pin 102 can be halted at correct height positions without regard to accuracy in the plate cam halting position.
There is also known a movement device shown in FIGS. 109 to 113 which is comprised of a pair of bell cranks 110, 110 and a horizontal rod 130 interconnecting these bell cranks 110, 110 and adapted to lift a moved article 111. Each bell crank 110 has its mid portion rotatably supported with respect to a base 106 by a pivot 107. Each of these bell cranks 110, 110 has its one end rotatably mounted by rotary shafts 109, 109 on the horizontal rod 130 so that the bell cranks will have the same rotational angular position with respect to the base 106. Each bell crank 110 has its opposite end connected via rotary shafts 108, 108 to the moved article 111. Each bell crank 110 has an elongated engagement opening engaged by the rotary shaft 108. The engagement opening is elongated in the direction towards the pivot 107. The rotary shafts 108, 108 are engaged in a pair of guide grooves 112, 112 formed in the base 106, such that the moved article 111 is movable only in the up-and-down direction with respect to the base 106.
With the above movement device, the moved article 111 may be moved between the upper position shown in FIG. 109 and the lower position shown in FIG. 113 via the bell cranks 110, 110 by horizontally shifting the horizontal rod 130.
There is also known a movement device constituted by links 113, 114 and a horizontal rod 115. With such movement device, the moved article 111 and the horizontal rod 115 are interconnected by a pair of elongated links 113. That is, each of the elongated links 113, 113 has its one end rotatably mounted to the moved article 111, while having its other end rotatably mounted on the horizontal rod 115. The horizontal rod 115 is supported by the base 106 for movement only in the horizontal direction. The moved article 111 is movable only in the up-and-down direction by a pair of guide grooves 112, 112 formed in the base 106. The mid portions of the elongated links 113, 113 and the base 106 are interconnected by reduced-length links 114, 114. That is, each of the reduced-length links 114, 114 has its end rotatably mounted on a mid portion of each elongated links 113, 113, while having its opposite end rotatably mounted on the base 106.
With such movement device, the moved article 111 may be lifted via the elongated and educed-length links 113, 113, 114, 114 by horizontally moving the horizontal rod 115.
There is also known a movement device shown in FIGS. 119 to 123 including a pair of rotary links 116, 117 each having its mid portion rotatably supported with respect to the base 106. The rotary links 116, 117 are mounted on the base 106 for rotation by support shafts 128, 129. The one ends of the rotary links 116, 117 are rotatably connected to each other by a connecting shaft 118. That is, the rotary links 116, 117 are formed at one ends thereof with elongated holes 121, 122 each having its long axis extending towards the supporting shafts 128, 129, and are connected to each other by the connecting shaft 118 being passed through these elongated holes 121, 122. The other ends of the rotary links 116, 117 are formed with elongated openings extending towards the supporting shafts 128, 129 and adapted for being passed through by the rotary hafts 129, 130. The rotary shafts 119, 120 are movable only in the up-and-down direction via a pair of guide grooves 112, 112 formed in the base 106.
With the above-described movement device, the moved article 111 may be moved between an upper position shown in FIG. 119 and a lower position shown in FIG. 123 by rotating the rotary links 116, 117 about the support shafts 128, 129.
There is also known a movement device having a Geneva wheel 123 and a rack gear 126 meshing with the Geneva wheel 123, as shown in FIGS. 124 to 136. The geneva wheel 123 is mounted for rotation about the center shaft with respect to the moved article. The Geneva wheel 123 has a pair of engagement pins 124, 125 provided at an interval of 180.degree. via the center shaft. The rack gear 126 has plural grooves 127 arrayed at a pre-set interval and adapted for being engaged by the engagement pins 124, 125, and is fixedly mounted on a base, not shown.
If, with the above movement device, the engagement pins 124, 125 are engaged in the grooves 124, 127, as shown in FIGS. 124, and the Geneva wheel 123 is rotated in one direction as indicated by arrow J in FIG. 124, only the engagement pin 125 is ready to be engaged in the groove 127, while the Geneva wheel 123 is moved relative to the rack gear 126 in a direction corresponding to the rack gear 126. When the Geneva wheel 123 has been rotated through 180.degree. from the initial state, the pins 124, 125 are engaged in the grooves 127, 127, as shown in FIG. 136. The Geneva wheel 123 is moved at this time a distance equal to one pitch of the groove 127 relative to the rack gear 126.
With such movement device, shown in FIGS. 99 to 103, if the angle of inclination or the pressure angle of the cam surface, which is the upper edge of the plate cam 101, is set to within a practical range, the distance of horizontal movement of the plate cam 101 needs to be increased relative to the distance of vertical movement of the profiling pin 102. The result is that the movement device is increased in size.
On the other hand, the movement device shown in FIGS. 104 to 108 is increased in size because the rotary plate cam 104 has a diameter equal to at least twice the distance of movement of the profiling pin 102.
With the movement device shown in FIGS. 109 to 113, it is difficult to control the device for halting the moved article 111 at the pre-set position. If an impact is applied from outside, the risk is high that the moved article 111 be moved under the shock applied thereto. The movement device has a large number of component parts and hence is complicated and difficult to put together.
With the movement device shown in FIGS. 114 to 118, since the distance of movement of the horizontal rod 115 is not proportionate to that of the moved article, it is difficult to control the position of the moved article 111. Aside from the difficulties in halting the moved article 111 at the pre-set position, there is a risk that the moved article 111 be moved under the impact applied from outside. In addition, the movement device also has a large number of component parts and hence is complicated to put together.
With the movement device shown in FIGS. 119 to 123, it is difficult to control the moved article so as to be halted at the pre-set position. In addition, there is a risk that the moved article 111 be moved under the impact applied from outside. Besides, the movement device also has a large number of component parts and hence is complicated to put together.
Furthermore, with the movement device shown in FIGS. 124 to 136, since the Geneva wheel is mounted on the moved article, driving means, such as an electric motor, needs to be provided on the moved article, and hence the moved article becomes complicated in structure. Since a number of Geneva wheels need to be provided on the moved article, it is difficult to synchronize the rotation of the respective Geneva wheels.
There is also known a movement device having a feed screw. Since the feed screw is rotated with the direction of movement of the moved article as its axis, the mechanism for rotating the feed screw become bulky in size. Besides, it is similarly difficult to halt the moved article at a pre-set position.
In view of the foregoing, it is an object of the present invention to provide a movement device which is simple in structure and easy to assemble, and in which, despite the small size of the device, the moved article can be halted with accuracy at a pre-set position and can be positively maintained at the halted position despite the shock applied thereto from outside.
There has also hitherto been proposed a recording and/or reproducing apparatus, as a so-called disc changer device, in which a plurality of disc cartridges, each comprised of a recording disc housed within a cartridge main member, are accommodated, and in which one of these disc cartridges is selected for recording/reproducing information signals on or from the disc cartridge.
With such disc changer apparatus, the disc cartridges are accommodated and held in a disc stocker provided in a casing of the disc changer device.
With such disc changer device, the recording/reproducing unit, having a spindle motor, an optical pickup and so forth, is moved between the positions facing the disc cartridges housed within the disc stocker, for selecting the disc cartridge and loading the selected disc cartridge thereon for recording/reproducing information signals on or from the disc cartridge.
With such recording and/or reproducing apparatus, constituted as a disc changer device, since each disc cartridge is housed within the disc changer device and hence cannot be visually recognized from outside, it is impossible to read indications on an outer surface of the disc cartridge or on the label affixed thereto. These indications are relative to the contents of the information signals recorded on the disc cartridge.
Consequently, if it is desired with such recording and/or reproducing apparatus to confirm the indications concerning the disc cartridge housed therein, it is necessary to take out these disc cartridges out of the apparatus by a laborious operation.
On the other hand, if, with the above-described recording and/or reproducing apparatus, one of the disc cartridges contained therein is selected and loaded on the recording/reproducing unit, it is inconveniently not clear which of the disc cartridges has been selected. Although a device may be annexed for indicating which disc has been selected, such device complicates the structure of the recording/reproducing apparatus.
In addition, it is not possible with such recording and/or reproducing apparatus to exchange a disc cartridge during recording and/or reproduction on or from another disc cartridge, such that it is not possible to effect continuous recording/reproduction.
Furthermore, with the above recording and/or reproducing apparatus, since the disc cartridge is housed in the disc cartridge inserting direction, it is difficult to reduce the size of the disc cartridge along the inserting direction, that is the depth of the disc cartridge.
In view of the foregoing, it is another object of the present invention to provide a recording and/or reproducing apparatus in which each of the disc cartridge loaded thereon may be visually recognized from outside, in which it can be clearly indicated which of the disc cartridges is currently recorded/reproduced, without complicating the structure of the apparatus, the disc cartridge loaded in the recording/reproducing unit can be exchanged for another disc cartridge, and in which the apparatus can be reduced in size along the disc cartridge inserting direction, that is along the depth of the disc cartridge.